Ignition device.



H. B. VANDEN/ENTER.,

. IGNmoN neylci. l APPLICATION FILED FEB. 15. 1916.

Patentd Feb. 19, 191&

Z SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. n. VAN DEVENTER.

IGNITIONDEVICE. APPLlcmon FILED rEs,.1.5.. me.

-- Patented Feb.19,`1918.

2 Suini-SHEET 2' gmanlIo-z m M-K UNITED` sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

HARRY RANDOLPH VAN DEVENTER, OF SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR T0 SPLITDORF ELECTRICAL COMPANY, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ACORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY. r

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that l', HARRY li. VAN DEVEN- TER, a citizen of the United btates, residing at Sumter, in the county ofi Sumter and Slate of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful .Improvements in ignition Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accom panying drawing.

This invention relates to ignition mechanism for internal combustion engines and has for its object the arrangement andacombination in one compact unit of the niagneto, the spark plugr and thel means for operating the magneto, thereby reducing to a minimum the mechanical and electrical connections necessary between these parts, and enabling all of the ignition equipment to he assembled at one point on the engine.

"Specifically the invention relates to a high tension .ignition system, in which a spark lug with fixed points or electrodes are used. Et is customary in such systems to use a hi h, tension oscillating magneto, and hereto ore Said-magnetos have been equipped with end,` plates supporting a. spring or Springs connected to an arm on the magneto shaft, said arm being tripped by a suitable ,push rod or its equivalent in time with the engine cycle, thereby generating a current, which is led to the plug, the timing of the ignition being etlected by varying of timeat which the magneto shaft is oscillated. Such arrangements are already well known.

My improvement consists of mounting the springs for oscillating the magneto directly on the adjacentsupport, eliminating a heavy frame work for the magneto, and the bearings of same from strain due to the tension of the springs. y I consider that the actuating springs for the magneto are part vof the engine mechanism and therefore I 'have 'separated these actuating springs 'trom the magneto, permitting amagneto off standard construction to be used, and Vone which may be readily removed and replaced on the support provided without requiring careful and expert adjustment. I

I also provide in case of emergency a battery interruptermounted on the support and actuated by the mechanism provided for moving the generator, so that in case the enerator is removed from the support la atteryI coil may be connected to the spark.

IGNITON DEVICE.

Specification ot Letters Patent.

Application filed February 15, 1916.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

Serial No. 78,485.

plug and interrupter andthe running of the engine continued Without interruption.

Figure 1 is a side View of an apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2 a front view of thesupport showing the interrupter and the actuating means; Fig. 3 a side view 'ot the complete apparatus showing more in detail the trip lever; and Fig. 4 a diagram shell of 3 forms one electrode 0n 'the spark plug, and 4; the other.

Suitably journaled in the support 1 is the trip lever 5, the nose 6 of which is engaged by the push rod 7, the latter being operated by the engine. mal position shown in the figures" springs 8 and 9 are'provided. 4'lhese springs and the trip lever 5 constitute an actuating mechanism for the high tension magneto 10, whichconnected, by means of the bifurcated member 11, to the tup lever 5; and it will For restoring 5 to its norbe seen that ,when the push rod 7 is forced A upward, it rides past the end 6 of the trip lever and releases the same, and that springs 8 and 9 cause the trip lever to violently oscillate, which oscillation is transmitted to the member l1, ther-eb? operating the magneto to produce a spar r.

It will be seen by removing the bolts. l2-

holding the magneto to the shelf 1'1 of the support 1, that the magneto may be removed ing the operation of the trip lever 5 and its` associated springs.

A suitable cable 13 serves to connect the high tension terminal on the magneto with the. terminal of the electrode 4 in the spark plug, the return4 Circuit being through the framework.

,from the support without in any way affectlf for any reason the magneto is removed from its supper-tit is obvious that the source' of current supply for the spark plug is disassociated therefrom, and to provide for such occasions a suitable interrupter operating in unison with the operation of the trip lever 5 and thereby suitably timed to the engine is mpunted on the support 1. This interrupter is shown in Fig. 2 and con 'shown in Fig. 4 is employed. The magneto cable 13 is disconnected from the sparkl plug terminal 4 and the cable 18 from the induction coil is connected in place of 13. The

battery 20 is in series with the primary of the 'induction coil 19 and with the interrupter contacts 16 and 17, the latter being operated by the trip lever 5. As such ar; rangements are well understood, a detailed description is not herein given, but iti will be noted that the outfit shown atFig. 2 is complete with everything necessary to furnish ignition for the engine, except the induction coil and battery.

To provide for any slight adjustment in timing I provide the Set screw 21, which may be So adjusted as to vary the time of oprationof the interrupter contacts 16 and 17 by varying the time at which trip lever 5 strikes arm 14.

I claim 1,-

1. The combination With a support adapt- 'ed` to be secured to an engine, of a spark plug mounted on said support and having fixer1 electrodes, a generator on said support electrically connected to said plug, 'and mechanism including a spring-actuated tripping device adapted to actuatesaid generator.

2. The combination with a support adapted to be secured to an engine, of a spark plug mounted on said support and having fixed electrodes, a generator on said support This' arm carries a Contact electrically connected to said plug, and mechanism including a spring-actuated tripping device adapted to actuate said generator, said mechanism including the springactuated tripping device being mounted Wholly on said support.

3. The combination 'with a support adapted to be secured to an engine, of a spark plug mounted on said support and having fixed electrodes, a generator on said support electrically connected to said plug, and meehanism including a spring-actuated tripping device adapted to actuate said gen-- erator, Said generator being removable from said support Without affecting the operation of the tripping device.

4. The combination, with a, support adapted to be secured to an engine, of a spark plug having fixed electrodes, a generator electrically connected to said plug, mechanism including a trip devi'ce adapted to actuate said generator, and a circuit interrupter operated by .said mechanisi'n, sub- Stantially as described.

5. The combination, with a support adapt ed to be secured to an engine, of a spark plug having fixed electrodes, a generator electrically connected to said plug, mechanism including a trip device adapted to actuate'said generator, and a circuit interrupter mounted on said support and operated by said mechanism, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a support adapted to be secured to an engine and forming anigniter flange, of a fixed spark gap carried thereby and projecting into the engine cylinder, a circuit interrupter carried on sai-d support, and means carried by said support for actuating said interrupter.

In testimony Whereoj:I I hereunto affix my signature.

HARRY RANDOLPH VAN DEVENTER. 

